[J A M I E]

Jamie's breathing was shallow, his pulse hammering in his ears as he watched Ava through the shifting blades of grass. She still hadn't moved from where she slumped against the car, her massive form bathed in the dim glow of the porch light. The way she hugged herself, her shoulders shaking ever so slightly—it was a sight that twisted something deep inside of him.

The night air was thick, humid, clinging to Jamie's skin. His bike was hidden beside his body in the grass, though it didn't matter—his entire focus was locked onto the towering structure before him. Ava. The house loomed large behind, its massive windows glowing faintly in the dark, casting long shadows that made the space between them feel impossibly wide.

This was the girl who always towered above everything, who carried herself with confidence so unshakable it was almost arrogant. The Ava he knew never let anything bring her down. But now... now she looked like the weight of the world was crushing her.

Jamie hesitated.

His mind raced with questions, doubts, a storm of emotions he couldn't untangle. Seeing her stumble out of that car, barely able to stand, her father berating her like she was nothing—it made him sick. He should go to her. Should do something. But what could he do?

He was just a human.

And she was... Ava.

His Ava.

Jamie clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists against his knees. He hated this feeling—this powerlessness, this weight in his chest that made it hard to breathe. Now he was here, hiding in the shadows like a coward.

What the hell am I doing?

I should go to her?

The risk was obvious. Ava's dad was inside, probably still fuming. If he caught Jamie here, there was no telling what would happen. And beyond that... there was the bigger question—the one that had been clawing at Jamie's mind for days.

Was Ava the person he thought she was?

The memory of their last fight resurfaced, uninvited. The way she had dismissed his feelings, the way she had made him feel like nothing more than an accessory in her life. He had spent the last few days trying to build a wall between them, convincing himself that maybe this wasn't meant to work. That maybe they had been fooling themselves the entire time.

He watched as she slowly pushed herself up from the car, towering over him her massive form moving sluggishly, she looked as if she were heading inside. Panic set in, not knowing if he should reveal himself now or stay in his position laying in the dirt like a fool.

But instead she paused by the stairs, standing right near where he lay still hidden in the grass. Ava stood there for a moment, swaying slightly, her gaze flickering toward the closed door of her home. Jamie watched as her shoulders slumped, as the tension in her body slowly unraveled, leaving her looking smaller than he'd ever seen her. He swallowed hard, watching as she lowered herself onto the bottom step of the staircase, her movements familiar even in her drunken state.

For as long as he could remember, this was her spot. It was where she waited for Jamie every evening, sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees, waiting excitedly for the sight of his tiny figure biking toward her from the human quarters. She always had that same eager expression, her green eyes bright, her smile wide and teasing when Jamie, her tiny boyfriend finally arrived.

But now, looking at her, watching the way she trembled alone in the night...

He couldn't walk away.

Taking a slow, careful breath, Jamie moved.

He kept low, his small frame shifting through the grass with practiced quiet. Being smaller in a world too big for him had trained him to move unnoticed when he needed to. He reached the side of her leg as he peeked up at Ava.

She still hadn't noticed him.

Jamie took another step closer, his hand reaching up to touch the fabric of her jeans—standing right beside her enormous foot, the sheer size of it sending a shiver up his spine. He hesitated for only a moment before tugging lightly.

Ava sucked in a sharp breath, her whole body stiffening as she looked down. Her unfocused, red-rimmed eyes widened when they landed on him.

"Jamie?" she whispered, her voice thick with surprise and something else—something Jamie couldn't quite place.

Jamie swallowed hard. "Yeah. It's me."

Ava stared at him, blinking rapidly as if trying to make sure he was real. Then, without warning, she let out a shaky breath and collapsed forward.

Jamie barely had time to react before her massive hands wrapped around him, pulling him into the warmth of her body. It was overwhelming, the sheer force of her size completely swallowing him. But it wasn't the way she had held him before—not playful, not possessive. This was different.

Desperate.

"Ava!" He gasped as she buried his face against her body, her entire body trembling. "I thought you hated me," she whispered. "You haven't answered my texts, and I—I thought I ruined everything."

Jamie stiffened at her words, his hands gripping the fabric of her hoodie. Jamie could feel Ava's heartbeat against his tiny frame, the rhythmic thumping vibrating through her hoodie as she held him close to her chest. He wasn't used to being handled this gently—at least, not by her. Her fingers, usually so confident, almost careless in their strength, now cradled him with deliberate caution. It was as if she was afraid he'd break. He didn't know what to say. Because the truth was... he had been angry. He had been questioning everything. And yet, even now, standing in the middle of the night, his body pressed against hers, he couldn't say he hated her.

Ava pulled back just enough to look at him. Her face was so close, her breath warm against his skin. "Jamie, I know I messed up," she whispered, her voice raw. "I know I made you feel small—not just in size, but in the way that matters. And I hate myself for that."

Jamie searched her face, his heart thudding in his chest. He had never seen her like this. Vulnerable. Scared.

"I don't want to lose you," Ava continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But if I've already lost you... if you don't want this anymore... then just tell me. I'll let you go."

Jamie felt something crack inside of him.

All the frustration, the doubt, the anger—it was still there. But so was the love.

He exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening against her fingers that held him so lightly. "Ava... I don't know if things can just go back to the way they were. I don't know if we can just pretend like everything's fine."

Ava nodded, blinking hard. "I don't want to pretend," she said quickly. "I just want to fix it. I need to fix it."

Jamie bit his lip, his mind a tangled mess of emotions. But before he could respond, the porch light flickered of then on again—followed by the faint sound of movement inside the house.

Ava stiffened.

Jamie's stomach dropped.

Her dad.

Ava moved fast, her hand wrapping around Jamie's body even more then he ever imagined, before he could even react. She moved him effortlessly, pressing him against her chest in a means to hide him as she scrambled to her feet. Jamie barely had time to register the sudden height shift before Ava was slipping into the shadows at the side of the house, her back pressed against the cold exterior.

The front door creaked open.

Jamie held his breath.

Ava's father stepped onto the porch, his massive figure silhouetted against the dim light. His feet were heavy, loud against the wood. His face was still set in that deep scowl, his sharp eyes scanning the yard.

Jamie could feel Ava's heart hammering beneath him. She was scared.

"Ava!" He called out into the darkness, scanning the street and driveway for his daughter. For a few agonizing seconds, her father stood there, his expression unreadable. Then, with a frustrated sigh, he ran a hand down his face and turned back toward the house.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Ava didn't move for several long moments. Jamie could hear the shakiness of her breathing, feel the tension still running through her body. In Ava's world, he wasn't just small—he was minuscule. A fraction of her size. Something that could be crushed in an instant if she wasn't careful.

She hadn't always been careful.

But right now, standing in the darkness, pressed against the side of her massive house, Jamie could feel the change in her. The way her breath hitched, the way her grip didn't tighten around him despite how much he could tell she wanted to hold him closer.

He wasn't sure what to make of it.

Then, slowly, she looked down at him.

"We need to get you out of here," she whispered, her hands were delicate her fingers warm.

Jamie nodded, his own pulse still racing to match hers. "Okay"

Ava hesitated. "Can I... can I walk you back?"

Jamie looked at her—really looked at her. She was still the same Ava, the same stubborn, reckless, larger-than-life girl he had fallen for. But for the first time, he saw something else, too.

She was trying. And for now... maybe that was enough.

He nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." Ava exhaled in relief, holding him closer as she carefully stepped away from the house. The ground beneath him shifting with each movement. To her, it was nothing—to Jamie, it was like standing on the deck of a ship rocking with the tide. He could barely see past the curve of her chest, his vision swallowed up by the fabric of her hoodie and the towering world around them. As they disappeared into the night, Jamie couldn't shake the feeling that whatever came next... it wasn't going to be easy.

She moved carefully, stepping away from the house and into the shadows that stretched along the street. Each footfall was a muffled tremor in Jamie's tiny world. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to focus on breathing, to not think about how high up he was, how easily he could be lost in a world not built for him.